1900
Foundation of the company in Lathen, Business: trading of poles and pit prop for industrial use.
1927
Building of a company sawmill.
1937
After the death of his father, Josef Schmees moves the company to Fresenburg, which is a suitable location for a larger sawmill and an impregnating plant.
1965
The son Bernd takes over the company’s management and starts building noise barriers and wooden bridges in 1988. He dies unexpectedly in 1993 – at the age of only 51.
1994
At the age of only 22, Josef Schmees succeeds him and transforms the company into a specialized enterprise for wooden construction and civil engineering; three years later the sawmill is shut down. Josef Schmees puts the focus directly on the construction of wooden bridges and buildings with timber frame design.
1999
Construction of a 100m long production shop.
2000
Schmees GmbH & Co. KG celebrates their 100th anniversary.
2001
Foundation of Schmees & Lühn GmbH. Alfred Lühn becomes managing partner; together with him, Josef Schmees leads the company to the top of the wood and steel engineering sector
2004
Foundation of a subsidiary in Poland
2010
Foundation of a subsidiary in the Netherlands.
2012
Building of a 1400 m² timber framing shop with the latest machine and crane technology.
2016
Purchase of steel- and metalwork company Funke Wessels GmbH in Lathen, change of name to Schmees & Lühn GmbH & Co. KG.
2017
76 colleagues with various specialities are realising engineering structures all over Europe.

Even our roots are made of wood.

High-grade construction materials and powerful technology can be bought. Experience can’t. Ours is based on more than 100 years of continuous improvement. This principle results in the optimization of processes, perfect execution and absolute timeliness. This is how you can still recognize the handwriting of the company’s founder Johann Bernhard Schmees in each of our projects.